The Pinnacle Preserve has two trails, leading from the new large parking area on Edgecomb Pond Road. Shortly after starting, the trail splits – the red trail leads to the Pinnacle overlook, while the blue trail leads to Bradley’s Lookout.
The Blue Trail to Bradley’s Lookout: The blue trail is 0.8 miles long to the view and includes a moderate, mostly gradual incline. There is one section at the end (close to the view) that has a steeper, rocky ascent.
The Red Trail to Pinnacle: At first it is a fairly level, gentle incline for 0.20 miles, and crosses via bridge over a seasonal stream. After the bridge, the trail continues on a series of switchbacks for 0.3-mile, and then becomes fairly straight for another 0.15-mile.
After turning right, the trail continues on an incline for 0.5 mile, then levels off and continues for another 0.4 miles. It then makes a right turn off of the dirt road onto a short trail to the lookout. Please use caution at the lookout area, as there is a steep drop from the edge.
The lookouts provide expansive views, including (from left to right) the Tongue Mountain range, the Narrows, Shelving Rock, Buck Mountain, the Town of Bolton, Dome Island, the Bolton Conservation Park, Trout Lake, and much more!
Mountain biking is allowed on the trail. Please walk your bike until you reach the dirt road and be respectful of any hikers.
The Pinnacle connects to Edgecomb Pond and Cat Mountain via the Yellow Trail, which starts at about the 1.0-mile mark on the Pinnacle’s red trail. For the first 0.3 miles the yellow trail is level; it then gradually descends for 0.35 miles. At the bottom it makes a sharp left turn and then climbs steadily, with a short, steep section, for 0.35 miles before emerging on Edgecomb Pond Road. You can reach the entrance to Edgecomb Pond and the trail to Cat Mountain by turning right and walking north along Edgecomb Pond Road for 0.3 miles. Please use caution when crossing the road and walking on the shoulder.
The Pinnacle Preserve is owned by the Town of Bolton and managed by LGLC.
Please park only in the designated parking lot. Roadside parking is not permitted.
Please hike only on the marked trails.
No camping allowed.
Do not pick the wildflowers, cut or mark the trees, remove any rocks, fossils or artifacts, or disturb the animals.
No motorized vehicles of any kind allowed. Mountain biking is permitted.
No fires permitted.
Please do not litter. Carry out what you carry in.
Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times.
Just a five-minute drive from quaint Bolton Landing, the trails to the Pinnacle and Bradley’s Lookout provide a rewarding introduction to hiking in the Adirondack Park. The views offer breathtaking panoramas of Lake George.
The 73-acre Pinnacle parcel was acquired by the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) and sold to the Town of Bolton in a bargain sale in 2015. The town donated a conservation easement to LGLC for further protection. The 62-acre Bradley’s Lookout addition in 2020 nearly doubled the Preserve and provided the opportunity for a second trail with a beautiful view of Lake George for minimal effort. Like the Pinnacle parcel, the Bradley’s Lookout parcel is also owned by the Town of Bolton and protected with a conservation easement held by the LGLC. In addition to monitoring the conservation easement, LGLC manages the property’s recreational trails for the Town of Bolton.
The land is contiguous to other protected lands and is a key part of a proposed Bolton Community Trail system. The Pinnacle itself is a local landmark and is highly visible from Cat Mountain and the lake. The conservation of these lands also contributes towards the protection of the Finkle Brook watershed, one of the lake’s major tributaries.
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Protecting the land that protects the lake since 1988. The Lake George Land Conservancy is an accredited not-for-profit land trust dedicated to working with willing landowners and other partners to protect the world-renowned water quality of Lake George and to permanently preserve the natural, scenic, historical and recreational resources of the Lake George Region.
